When Building a Deck, How Deep Do You Dig Your Postholes?

You always need to dig your postholes when installing a deck to the right depth to make sure everything is as sturdy as possible. Find out how deep you need to dig your postholes when installing a deck with help from a construction expert in this free video clip.

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Hi, this is Nicholas Iarocci, The Home Source Guy, president and owner of Source Development Inc., a residential and commercial construction company in Garnerville, New York. And this is, when building a deck, how deep do you dig the post holes? Well, I'm going to start off by explaining a frost-thaw cycle. What happens is, the ground contains moisture, when it freezes, it expands. So, to build on something like that wouldn't be wise, it' s inflexible, you get that heaving action back and forth. And whether it's a foundation or a deck, it becomes unstable. So, you really want to find a solid ground or you want to go below the frost level of wherever region you're in. So, on a second note, if you were living in Florida, that region would be very minimal. The further north you go, would obviously increase because it gets colder further north. Most municipalities have this all worked out, but there are climatic zones that you could reference to find the depth. But just calling up your municipality would tell you what the depth is, that's required in the area. This also applies to foundations, you want to make sure that the soil that you're bearing on is firm you want to make sure that, that happens too. And you also want to make sure that you study the topography. If, let's say, you're digging on a hill, obviously if you're digging on a hill, the three feet has to be a little further down. If you're required three feet, it would have to be a little further down. See, I'm up north in New York. that's what's required here, it's 42 inches actually. So, anyway, if you're on a hill, you'd have to dig further down. So, there are a couple of little nuances to the formula that you have to take mind to. Hope that helps you out. This is The Home Source Guy, helping you build a better life, and we'll see you next time.